CCC Gainesville | Blog
You know I love all things British (cf Harry Potter, the word FORTNIGHT, Et al) and should not be surprised to learn that a Brit has (quietly) had a tremendous influence on me and on Christ Community. John Stott was a wonderful person and Christian who went to be with Christ last summer.
This Sunday we will look together into the Scripture’s teaching on “Our Triune God”. Consider praying Stott’s morning prayer in preparation for Sunday.
Good morning heavenly Father,
good morning Lord Jesus,
good morning Holy Spirit.
Heavenly Father, I worship you as the creator and sustainer of the universe.
Lord Jesus, I worship you, Savior and Lord of the world.
Holy Spirit, I worship you, sanctifier of the people of God.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Heavenly Father, I pray that I may live this day in your presence
and please you more and more.
Lord Jesus, I pray that this day I may take up my cross and follow you.
Holy Spirit, I pray that this day you will fill me with yourself and cause your fruit to ripen in my life:
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Holy, blessed and glorious Trinity, three persons in one God,
have mercy upon me. Amen.
– John Stott, quoted in Basic Christian: The Inside Story of John Stott
Every time (everytime?)
Whenever I go to an event like the one were having Saturday at Payne’s Prairie–2 things happen.
One, I get to have a conversation with a church friend that lasts more than the 3 minutes that Sunday morning usually allows. Great memories of chatting with S. Addcox at Egg Hunt last year.
Two, I meet someone that I didn’t already know. I met Ben & Elisabeth Griffin at a Saturday event. Then I enjoyed several years of watching them grow in Christ before they moved to NM last year.
So, come on out! 11-2, Saturday. Details are here.
Several people have asked for the text of the reflection I read yesterday from Phil Ryken. Phil Ryken is the former senior pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia and is currently the president of Wheaton College. Interestingly enough, he was a classmate and friend of Gainesville’s own Ron Kuykendall of St. Andrews Episcopal Church.
Our eternal God. From everlasting to everlasting—and often overlooked. And not just by the masses, but by me. This story reminded me that we’re called to live beyond the business. To sit, to dwell, to ponder. Enjoy, I think.
In Washington , DC , at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.
About 4 minutes later:
The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.
At 6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
At 10 minutes:
A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent – without exception – forced their children to move on quickly.
At 45 minutes:
The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.
After 1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.
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Drew Donovan grew up in Seven Rivers Presbyterian Church in Crystal River. He attended Santa Fe College, and during that time he attended Christ Community and was a youth volunteer here. He comes to us most directly from Tallahassee, where he graduated from FSU in December 2011 with a degree in Family and Child Sciences. Drew has served in internships at Seven Rivers and at Pinewood Presbyterian in Middleburg.
Drew interviewed with Christ community members in recent weeks. Here is an excerpt from the very positive feedback our members offered after meeting him:
“I think that Drew is an excellent choice for the youth position given his experience, enthusiasm, and communication skills. I appreciated his honesty during the interview about his struggles and how God is working in him. During his interview, he appeared to be very thoughtful about what he would want the CCC youth ministry to grow into. He has an excellent mentor from Seven Rivers (to complement Rob and Frank) that will provide him advice from outside CCC which will help keep a fresh perspective and infuse new practices when appropriate. He clearly has the interpersonal skills and command presence to lead both middle and high school youth.”
Drew will be introduced to our congregation on his first day of work, Sunday, May 13.
